Changing Generations-On Hiatus
by RorickTrevelyan
Summary: Years have passed since Team RWBY graduated Beacon and started their own legacy. Now the newest generation steps into their legacy at Beacon and fights shadows unlike anything they've seen. And come across foes of untold horror. This is a parallel story with my Wolf's Shadow story and is very OC centered. Rated M for dark themes, language, sexual content (much later) and Ally.
1. Arrival

_I know I've already put out a dozen RWBY stories already but I can't help it! The universe is so friendly to creative output! So this story fits great, in my tiny twisted mind._

 _So for those of you who don't know this story will exist in my Team WOLF AU and will be a parallel story running with my Wolf's Shadows story which I'll be updating along with it. So for that reason this story will update slower than some of my other stories for one simple reason, I'm still writing these stories. That being said I will do my absolute best to keep updates happening and happening as fast as I can._

 _Reviews are always appreciated, both real critique and just ego petting. And thanks for reading._

Changing Generations

Jayden stood at the edge of the airship's entrance staring at the cascading emerald academy before him. The setting sun's glinting rays only made the color deeper than it had been from the airship up here. A deep breath and a small step would begin the best four years of his life, as he'd heard his mother avow it. She'd spent her time here, learning things she never thought she needed. Now he stood to go where his mother once went.

His train of thought derailed when he was shoved aside by a young blonde woman carrying another woman by her arm and dashing straight into the courtyard. He composed himself and brought his bags with him. He took a few uneasy steps trying to balance himself on his cane and his bags.

"We're here!" the first blonde woman shouted as she slid to her knees. The second woman was taken aback by the grandeur of the buildings; her shock was easy to see on her face. "Dawn, we made it!" she said and leapt to hug the other woman.

Jayden left them to their business and began his trek to the auditorium. His limp made it a slower journey than some of the other students. He turned his head and looked at each building as it passed. Each one easily towered over him, making each and every second seem more daunting. He knew he was ready for what he was about to undertake, even as his worries began to mount. His thought process was once again interrupted by the chiming on his scroll.

" _Has the ship landed yet?_ "

" _Yes, I'm making my way to the meeting room. Any last minute advice?_ "

" _Don't blow up your future leader and you're already better than me._ "

" _Well I don't have any dust on me, so it'll be their fault._ "

" _Perhaps we have more in common that we like to admit. Good luck, I'll be there sooner or later to visit, but you know how my schedule can change._ "

" _I understand, please be careful._ "

" _I should be telling you that, but I appreciate it. I love you Jayden._ "

" _Love you too mom._ "

He stared into the large room as the multitudes of students gathered. There was a saying his mother taught him, "No two hunters will ever be the same," and it was hard to argue her point. Nothing was the same about anyone he saw. No two weapons, no two outfits, no two ways of carrying themselves, totally unique. At first.

"No, you need to apologize!" Jayden turned to see two women staring at him; at first glance they were carbon copies of each other. The only difference being the way they wore their hair. The one woman wore her long blonde hair in a tight bun and carried herself calmly. She stood tall and her attire was neatly pressed and taken care of. She wore a sleeveless battle shirt, which accentuated her well toned arms. Her chest was emblazoned with a rising sun, and the thick metal bracers around her wrists shared the emblem.

The other woman seemed to be the opposite, her wild blonde hair hung past her back and was very voluminous. She wore a button up shirt and left the first two buttons undone, to accentuate the scarf she wore around her neck, the shirt itself was mostly covered up buy a thick vest that had a crescent moon shining against it. Her skirt was modest length, but was slit up the left leg. She had a few small pouches on her hips that Jayden couldn't immediately identify, and she had a long black pole attached to her back. The woman was definitely odd.

The calmer woman motioned towards the other one who groaned.

"Sorry fer runnin' ya over," she forced out, looking towards the other woman who nodded.

"All is forgiven," Jayden nodded and fully expected that to be the end of the conversation. The calmer woman motioned again and the other woman groaned.

"And sorry fer ignorin' ya," she said glaring at the other woman.

"All is forgiven," he said again.

"My name is Dawn," the calmer woman put out her hand and Jayden met it as his mother had taught him.

"Jayden," he said. He turned towards the other woman just as she put her fist out.

"And I'm Alabaster, I go by Ally," she said.

"Well I go by Jayden."

"So hey, 'fore this gets too far, ya look really familiar." Ally eyed him up and down as Dawn shared Jayden's look of confusion.

"I'm fairly confident that we've never met, ma'am, I would have recognized the accent, I'm sure."

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. Jayden grew nervous as she asked, fearing he had offended her.

"Nothing, it's just distinct!" Jayden had nothing against it; it was a simple accent, one reminiscent of the Gray Isles in Atlas. He'd been there a time or two when his mother went to visit-. "Wait a minute," Jayden said suddenly. He looked at the woman again as it was clarifying in his mind. "Alabaster James?" he asked hesitantly.

The woman's eye's widened as did her smirk. "Jayden Schnee! I knew it!" Ally launched herself and hugged Jayden tightly. "Last time I saw you, ya was in diapers!"

"Why are you with the first years? Aren't you quite a bit older than me?"

"Well only by a year or two!" Dawn suddenly pulled her sister back, looking for an explanation. "Oh, Dawn, this is Auntie Weiss' son, Jayden." Dawn finally looked at him with purpose.

"I see, well this is the first time we've met," Dawn clarified.

"Well, a pleasure regardless."

"This is awesome! We get to be with Cousin JJ!"

Jayden blinked, unsure of how to take the nickname and Dawn shared his trepidation.

"So no go on the nickname?"

"For now at least," Jayden clarified.

"Aww," Ally resumed her laughter as she did. The three carried on simple conversation as the room filled even more. Ally talked enough for all three until she noticed the man staring at the group. She felt a bit of nervousness build, and the other two noticed quickly. The man returned the Jayden's gaze, and Jayden left with a sigh. The man left his crouched position and stood just as tall as Jayden, pushing six foot and beyond.

"You're intimidating my friend." Jayden kept his voice low.

"That's not my problem," he retorted.

"We're on the same side; we're here for the same reasons."

"Then prove it."

"As long as you keep your malice behind your teeth," Jayden said. The man sneered but nodded. "Then we understand each other." Jayden left and rejoined Dawn and Ally who looked at him with a curious face. "Just a bit of preparation."

"Attention students!" the voice garnered everyone's attention to the stage. The woman's bright red hair stood out against the dark curtains behind her. "Welcome all new students to Beacon Academy, those of you who are returning students may return to their dorms. Your classes will resume in two days." Many students departed at her words, but those that remained were still numerous. "To those who have come for their first year, the Headmaster has something he'd like to say." The woman stepped back on the stage as the man took her place.

The man stood just about 6 feet tall by Jayden's estimate, his unkempt blonde hair shone underneath the lights, bolstered by the thin lines of gray that began to appear on the edges. His suit had seen better days but it was still well kept, he kept himself well all in all.

"It never gets old," he said, jarring Jayden out of his observant gaze. "Seeing the new faces year after year, knowing what they all want. Seeing how many people who know what they want to be. That point can't be argued," he said. "What should be considered is why? Why do you want to be a hunter? I was asked that question, and now it is time that you asked yourself that as well. I've known those that wanted the accolades, those that wanted the job description, and those that wanted to protect. Motives are fragile, and change constantly. I care nothing for your motives, I care for your convictions and character that is what decides why you do this. Motives alone will not carry you in these coming years; they will not aid you in adjusting with the demanding lifestyles of being a hunter. The convictions you carry and what you know to be right and wrong is what will carry you. And your character, the definition of who you really are that is what will aid you." He looked out at the students who stared back in wonder. "There are two days that matter most to a person: the day they are born, and the day they find out why. We'll do our best to guide you, but in the end, what you become is of your own volition."

The man let the silence build for a moment.

"I am Headmaster Arc; I will be all that I can for my students. If you have any questions about Beacon or the journey you're about to undertake, my assistant Ms. Nikos will be around shortly and will continue to be around until curfew. I look forward to this year."

Jayden sighed, he'd known Headmaster Arc and Professor Nikos for a few years true, but he'd known Uncle Jaune and Aunt Pyrrha much longer. He'd hoped he would get a chance to reconnect for a few moments before their busy lives took over.

"Auntie Pyrrha!" Ally shouted, once again jarring Jayden's train of thought.

"Ally, Dawn!" Pyrrha hugged both of the girls tightly and smiled. "It's been so long! I'm so happy you're _both_ here!" Jayden noticed the emphasis and was curious but he pushed it aside. Pyrrha released them just as Jayden made eye contact.

"Hello, Pyrrha," Jayden said. He tried to put his hand out but Pyrrha hugged him.

"Jayden, you of all people should know better!"

The three continued to speak until Ally grew nervous again. Pyrrha noticed and turned but smiled again.

"Eden! I'm honestly surprised you're here!" The man's face softened as he hugged Pyrrha but he still unnerved Ally a bit. He was dressed in all black and grey. A black t-shirt and a grey vest covered his chest. He had a necklace that had a black cloud on it. A long black sword hung on his waist, Ally thought it looked familiar. He looked normal all in all, but it was his eyes that made her uneasy. They were golden, and bright. They practically shone like jewels compared to the rest of him. Even his bright red hair was dull compared to the predatory eyes he had.

"It took some creative arguments," he said softly.

"Well I'm happy you're here, all of you. This will be a great year!" Pyrrha left and Eden attempted to but Jayden stopped him, the two seemed to communicate without speaking as their faces changed.

"What's yer last name?" Ally asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter." Eden turned to leave again but Jayden stopped him, a subtle movement and Eden sighed. "My name is Eden Belladonna."

"I knew it! Yer Auntie Blake's boy!" Ally's body language changed again and she leapt to hug him. Eden stood still as Ally finished the hug, he didn't reciprocate like she thought he would.

"It's been a while Dawn, I look forward to this year."

Dawn nodded and Eden departed.

"You two know each other?" Jayden asked.

"Yes, I spent a lot of time with Aunt Blake."

"How many aunts and uncles do you have?" Jayden asked with a smirk.

"Ya know Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Team CVFY, Team SSSN, Team WOLF, and Team SLKE?" Ally asked.

"Yes," he said hesitantly.

"That many," Ally said with a giant smile.

"I see," Jayden said.

"How do you know Eden?" Dawn asked.

Jayden's body language changed and he sighed. "Just enough to not be on good terms," he said.

"Uh-huh." Ally and Dawn were both silent for a few moments.

"So what are those?" Jayden asked pointing to their ankles. Both of them had a metallic band around their ankle. One on Ally's left, and the other on Dawn's right.

"Oh that's Ember Silica, it's our ma's weapon! We've each got one!" Ally explained.

"I see, that's quite creative, but doesn't your mother use them?"

Dawn's face fell but Ally kept her smile.

"Naw, our Pa does most of the huntin' now. Since we were born, Ma took care of us!"

"Hearing the stories of Miss Xiao Long, I find that hard to believe," Jayden said as he took a seat, his leg was starting to feel the strain of the last three or so hours.

"Well mama always said she was always up for a new challenge, and managing twins was the ultimate challenge far as she was concerned!"

"A daunting task," he admitted.

"What's wrong with your leg?" Dawn asked suddenly. Jayden looked down and he realized that he was subconsciously rubbing the back of it, he scolded himself and shifted.

"Just an old wound."

"Ya gonna be alright? We've gotta great adventure lined up fer us tomorrow!"

"Yes, I'll be fine, I have a brace I can wear on it."

"Well we'd better get rested either way. Ally's right, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," Dawn said. "It was a pleasure meeting you Jayden."

"You as well." They shook hands again and Jayden unrolled his bedroll. He eased himself down as he did; Eden seemed to come out of nowhere to help him down. The two still said nothing to each other. "Thank you, Eden."

"Stay away from Dawn," he warned.

"Why is that?"

"She's my friend; I don't want her getting wrapped up in our troubles."

"There wouldn't be troubles if you-." Eden left before he could finish, leaving Jayden to just shake his head. Jayden grabbed his cane and tried to get back up but Eden again just appeared out of nowhere. "There wouldn't be troubles if you and I could just talk!" he said quietly.

"There will always be trouble, Jayden. You know as well as I do."

"Those battles are over, beyond our generation. We've a chance to renew those ties and create stronger bonds."

Eden stood again and this time Jayden made no effort to follow.

"Stay away from Dawn," he echoed. Jayden sighed and tried to sleep, the worries of his new journey returned and he was left awake even as the conversations died down. Nearly a hundred people lay asleep beside him, but he was left awake by his own trepidation and hesitancy. He knew what was expected of him here, he knew exactly who he wanted to be. Jaune's words echoed as he fought with his own self image and who he wanted to be. Not much had changed since the incident. As much as he wanted things to change, nothing had. His mother had always been distant but not by choice, now she cherished even the fleeting seconds of a good morning.

"Are you okay?"

Jayden's train of thought once again derailed as he used his scroll to see who was nearby. Dawn crouched by him on her way back from the restroom it seemed.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"I'd like to, but you'd need to believe it first." He nodded, conceding the argument as she sat on her knees.

"I'm just deep in thought; I've a lot to think about."

"Understandably," she said. "Shall I leave you to it?"

"You can stay if you wish, I don't know that I'll be sleeping much tonight."

"If I'm able to assist, then I'd like to."

Jayden laughed quietly as she talked, causing a small amount of concern from Dawn. "Are you anything like your sister? It seems that you only share a likeness."

"I didn't spend much time with my sister growing up."

"Why not?"

"It's a private matter, but I spent more time with my Aunt Blake and Eden than I did my own family, not that I regret it. I believe it was a much needed time there."

"So what was it like growing up with Yang Xiao Long and Wyatt James as parents?"

"My father was a very patient man and my mother wasn't so much. But it was amazing to watch them work. We were able to see them teach a few classes at the school in the Gray Isles. Even after all the years apart I know for sure that Ally takes a lot after him. My mother likes to think she took the worst from her and the worst from my father and it made Ally. But she's far more than she seems."

"Why's that?"

"Our lives haven't been easy; we've faced our own trials. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of the good times in life, Ally strives to never forget those."

"I understand."

"We share a lot in common. We are still sisters after all. On times when my mother and father would be out on a hunt, we'd spend time with any portion of our extended family. Ally always wanted us to remember the good in life, and it's something I've grown to appreciate."

"I can imagine," he said in a yawn.

"I'd better let you rest, as Ally said we've 'a big adventure' on our hands tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you Dawn, I needed that."

"My pleasure."

Jayden sighed and closed his eyes again, this time ignoring his own thoughts and pushing them out. This time Jayden was able to sleep.

XXX

The majority of the first years stood overlooking the large forest from their perch on the cliff. A magnificent view in of itself, it was only made more impressive by the slow breezes that bent the landscape to its will. The trees shimmered in the wind and from their perch, and though it was a pleasantly warm day, the breeze chilled Jayden sending him into shivers. He wore his combat attire now: an off-white shirt that covered most of his arms, leaving only his forearms free. On top of that his armor, which gave him the appearance he'd grown to appreciate in his youth as well as protected him. His cane by his side and the brace on his leg gave him far more maneuverability than he had the day before. Finally his bowler cap that he held beside him as the wind had threatened to steal it.

"Ya look like yer headed out fer a night out 'stead of ta fight!" Ally commented.

"Perhaps both," he said with a smirk. Dawn and Eden readied themselves on their platforms silently awaiting their turn. Headmaster Arc had already given them their instructions and now they were waiting. Jayden shook his head and tried to prepare himself, the brace wouldn't protect him from such a heavy impact. He'd have to use what his mother taught him if he wanted to spare the damage. He could hear the loud snap of each platform throwing their target towards the wooded area. He felt the tremors from the machines grow closer as he prepared himself; finally he felt the world around him shift as he flew through the air.

He'd seen others just dive into the woods, trying to get there faster but he knew his navigation wasn't as strong as others. He knew the direction based on the sun's position, but he wouldn't have that advantage beneath the canopy. He got his bearings and threw down a few shining glyphs above the canopy. He stood tall as he plotted his course, when he felt ready he landed beneath the trees and began his trek. He elongated his cane into a walking stick as he hiked on the unforgiving terrain. The summer rains did nothing for the integrity of the soil and he was slipping and falling almost every other step. He'd walked his chosen path for almost twenty minutes without incident until he heard a commotion beside him. He positioned himself and saw Eden fighting a trio of Beowolves; Eden seemed to be taking care of things himself with his sword but as more approached Jayden had to step in.

Eden and Jayden made eye-contact for only a moment before they nodded and set to work. Jayden took the positioning his mother had taught him and drew the thin blade from his cane. Two Beowolves stood before him, their blood red maws gaping and snarling at him. No sooner had they launched at him had Jayden put up a new glyph, the first one smashed into it face first and Jayden pierced its skull with the thin blade through his glyph. It had no death cry as it started melting away. The second tried to jump over it but Jayden dropped the glyph and let the Beowolf land on nothing, Jayden spun to his right and brought the blade straight through the beast's neck. It fell with no sound as it disintegrated. By the time he turned back to Eden there were three dissolving bodies beside of him. The two men stood gathering their wits as they sheathed their weapons, both using them as walking sticks.

"This will be interesting," Eden said after a quiet hour of hiking.

"At the very least, it shall be entertaining to our teammates."

XXX

Ally flew through the sky with her back to the ground, her hands behind her head just staring as the clouds flew by. She couldn't have cared less about where she was going; only when she felt the leaves touch her back did she withdraw her staff and use it to direct her weight past the loose limbs and broken trunks. She lodged her staff in between two branches and spun around like a gymnast on a bar. On her downward swing she dislodged and gracefully landed on the forest floor.

"Nailed it!" she sung to herself as she strolled on through. She hummed soft songs to herself as she skipped her way through the thick foliage and dense flora. She heard nothing of interest for almost thirty minutes until she heard the distinct death whine of a Borbatusk, she crested the hill to see Dawn in fighting stance staring down the charging swine. It stared at her as it ran, but Dawn stayed calm even as it spun to charge at her. Ally whistled just as she threw her staff like a spear to knock it off balance. Dawn took the assistance and maneuvered the beast so that it careened off of a nearby tree back at her. She took her stance and in a split second threw her fist hard enough to break through the outer shell and straight through the creature's spine. It whined in death and began to disintegrate.

"Did you follow me to protect me, Ally?" Dawn asked with a hint of concern.

"Naw, I was just enjoyin' the view! Yer the first person I seen all day!"

"Well then," Dawn asked as she took a deep breath and calmed herself, letting her bracers reform themselves on her wrists. "Shall we?"

"We shall! We're off ta see the wizard!" She grabbed her sister's hand and began to skip away.

XXX

"The last two pairs have been formed," Pyrrha said happily. "One is Eden Belladonna and Jayden Schnee."

Both Pyrrha and Jaune sighed. "I hope they can work together," Jaune said quietly.

"As do I, but the last pair are Dawn and Alabaster James."

"Good, that should be a great boon for Dawn."

"It seems history repeats itself yet again."

"It would have to; I don't think they could have formed another way."

"Perhaps, although the same thing happened with our son," Pyrrha said incredulously.

"You still think I planned that?" Jaune asked with a smirk.

"Please," she said in a laugh. But he maintained an innocent smile. "So the name JPTR was an accident then?"

"A happy coincidence."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Pyrrha said as she scanned over her scroll. "Though there's a large concentration of Grimm near their target, bigger than in years past."

"Then I want to see how they overcome it, I've faith in them."

XXX

Eden and Jayden stared at the clearing in horror. There a mere hundred or so yards away laid their prize, the relics for them to claim. And less than seventy-five yards away at least a dozen Ursas guarded them.

"So any bright ideas?" Eden asked.

"Ones that don't involve running away, you mean?"

"I just thought that would come after your brilliant plan failed."

"I'm not sure what's worse, the mockery or the accuracy."

A snapping twig behind them drew their guard up but soon Dawn and Ally relieved only a few of their fears.

"Man this place is borin', I thought fer sure we'd see some action by now!" she complained. Eden and Jayden could only give a breathy chuckle in response. "What?"

The two pointed down toward the relics and what waited for them.

"Ah, where's Aunt Nora when you need her?" she asked quietly.

"Do we have a plan?" Dawn asked.

"We're somewhere in the middle of charging them or running away," Eden said.

"The clearing is too large to sneak around, and with all four of us, we'd be smelled out quickly."

"And we can't go straight through, it'd be a massacre," Dawn agreed.

"So we can't go through, we can't go around, and we can't go below," Eden said slowly.

"Easy as pie, we go from above!" Ally said happily.

"Indulge us then, how do we do that?"

"We use Jayden's glyphs, he can give us a launchin' pad and we go flyin'!"

The others paused for a moment.

"Is this one of those so crazy it could work things?" Eden asked.

"I'm more aligned with just crazy, but it's the only idea we've got. Dawn and Eden can go first and grab the relics, Ally and I will come from behind to get their attentions away from you. Sound good?" Jayden asked.

The others nodded and Jayden prepared a glyph big enough for the two hunters. He held his hand out and took long slow breaths as the glyphs were pulled back and changed colors.

"Are you ready?" Eden and Dawn nodded, and Jayden threw his hand out and sent them flying out. The moment he did Ally charged out and attracted the attention of the Ursas and sent them away from the two flying hunters. Eden and Dawn landed at the same time and each grabbed their relics, four golden colored chess pieces and began to run back towards the fleeing pack of Ursas.

Ally was too distracted in messing with them; they were already enraged so her antics were all the more humorous to her. She spun around trees to send four of them crashing down the steep slope and slammed into one of the older trees, snapping their necks and watching them disintegrate.

"QUAD KILL!" she shouted happily. Dawn and Eden came rejoined the group just as the remaining ten Ursas bore down on them.

"Stick together!" Jayden shouted.

Jayden drew his sword and readied himself letting the Ursas charge uselessly against his glyphs as he slashed at them from behind them. He used the glyphs to keep the others off of him as he took them on one at a time. He would put up more glyphs only when needed. He needed to make sure he had enough aura to keep his leg in top condition. He would not be a weak link any longer. An Ursa charged at him just as the last glyph faltered, but Jayden sheathed his sword and flipped his cane, slamming the butt of the cane into the Ursa's open mouth. He pulled the trigger and let the bullet fly through the Ursa's skull and crash on the ground. Jayden sighed and re-adjusted his clothing as he set his eyes on the next one.

Dawn kept her control about her, even as the beasts descended. She used her training to use the beast's momentum against them and then go for the kill. Her bracers folded over her hands, guarding them and giving her additional power. She kept her forms tight and controlled, and she was fine. She re-directed the strike of an Ursa and broke its leg at the joints, as it recoiled and retreated she turned her attention to the one charging behind her. She used the forms she knew and shattered the skull beneath her fist. The third Ursa decided against a charging tactic and stood on its hind legs to crush her. Dawn took a deep breath and as the Ursa was landing she dashed beneath its striking paws and punched at its exposed underbelly. The gaping hole left in its body left it crumbling around Dawn as she calmed herself again.

Eden looked at the Ursas that charged at him with just the faintest hint of a smile, the canopy cover created exceptional space for his maneuvers. Just as one of the Ursas swung its massive paw at him, he disappeared in the shadows, only to reappear behind it and take out its legs with his sword. It tried to limp away but he disappeared again to take out its head. The next Ursa swiped quickly with its paws trying to keep eyes on his prey, but Eden just melted into the shadows again and this time slashed the underbelly of the Ursa in a dive. The last Ursa just stared at him as he approached. Eden was less than a yard away when the Ursa lunged at him with its teeth. The shadows melted away in the Ursas jaws and Eden appeared above the Ursa and slammed his sword into the Ursas skull. He withdrew his sword and slid it along the cloth on his scabbard to clean it before sheathing it.

Ally was having a blast. She danced around all along the forest floor smacking random Ursas as she went. Once she'd gathered the attentions of a few she twirled her staff around as she continued to laugh. One of the Ursas swiped at her but she smacked its paw away and bounced the heavy staff off of its head. The Grimm whined in pain and recoiled, giving Ally enough time to take its legs out from under it and send it rolling down the hill and into another tree.

"Hey, I'm on a _roll_!" she shouted happily. A groan of frustration echoed from the others as she continued her dancing. Another Ursa tried to tackle her but she sent the end of her staff into its gut and let the momentum carry it over her head and crashed onto its head, killing it instantly.

"I've got my _head_ in the game!"

Another groan as Ally turned toward the last Ursa that Jayden had chased towards her. Ally used her staff like a pole vault and hurled herself into the air. She brought the very end of her staff straight into the fleeing Ursas head, crushing it beneath the weight. She rolled out of her attack and cleaned off her staff at the same time, she looked at the others with a stupid smirk.

"Don't say it," Jayden said.

She smiled even bigger.

"Ally, don't say it!" Dawn warned.

"He must have a _splitting headache_!"

Another groan echoed out of the forest.

XXX

"And those were the last 'relics' to obtain." Pyrrha let her scroll shrink and slid it in her blouse's chest pocket. "Did Professor Ozpin ever explain why he picked chess pieces?"

"He told me that it was a sort of personality test they used when he was younger. And I think it worked."

"Perhaps, shall we begin to head back?"

"Yes, the students will begin to gather here soon. After that comes putting them in dorms and letting them mingle amongst the upperclassmen."

"Well we should enjoy the little things," Pyrrha said happily. She turned to leave and was greeted with a well placed hand along the back of her leg that was slowly climbing.

"Maybe we should."

"You're just incorrigible, you know that right?"

"You can't believe I'd matured all they way did you?" He slowly moved his hand closer to her backside as she blushed.

"What would the students think?" she asked in a fit of giggles.

XXX

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Eden shouted as they ran from the three packs of Beowolves that they'd tripped over. Currently they were running towards the cliff walls with more than three dozen Beowolves chasing after them.

"Just keep running!" Jayden yelled back.

"Well it's not like it could get worse!"

They'd jumped into a small clearing and ran toward a small abandoned stone building. They'd no sooner done that then all fell silent, they turned back to the woods and saw the Beowolves retreating, small whimpers echoing in the woods. They stared for a moment before they heard a skittering noise replace the mad howling. Just as they turned around they had to dodge the golden stinger from the giant Deathstalker that slammed down on their previous location.

"So Eden, how do you like your foot in your mouth? Medium Well or Rare?"

"I'll take it well done if we make it out of here!"

Ally had already taken Dawn to the side as had Eden to Jayden.

"Well any other bright ideas, Jayden?!"

"Give me a minute!" Jayden shouted back. The group spent their time hiding behind pillars, the Deathstalker couldn't see well. It was well aged and relied on its clicking sonar. Jayden gave his plan to Eden who disappeared into the shadows and reappeared beside the two girls. They nodded from their positions as Eden leapt back out into the center of the clearing staring down the beast as it roared. Eden held his sword to his side and began to concentrate.

The Deathstalker skittered towards him and moved to crush him in its pincers. Dawn leapt out from her cover as it did and caught the pincer in her hands and with a swift motion ripped the pincers apart and soon off of the beast's arm completely. The Deathstalker whirled back in pain but Jayden was ready and took out its back legs with his sword. It didn't fall over completely but it lost its balance and crashed down just as Ally slammed her staff on its head. It whined in pain and just as it readied itself for the next attack, Dawn repeated the process with the other pincer and left the arena. The whole time Eden's sword had been charging with energy and shining brightly from its sheath. On Jayden's command Eden threw his sword out in a straight horizontal line and watched a beam of bright red energy blaze out in front of him. Eden panted from the exertion the attack caused. In a flash of red steel he sheathed his sword in a menacing click, and the moment it did the beast slid apart in a straight line. The four of them stood in front of the disintegrating beast with a well deserved sigh of relief.

"Well done, Eden," Jayden said. Eden stood again, forced to use his sword as a cane.

"How'd ya do that?" Ally asked.

"Poured some of my aura into my weapon and used it to strengthen the energy attack of my weapon. Usually I can only do that in small bursts," he said through pants. "I think I used too much."

"We're almost there, don't worry." Dawn placed his arm on her shoulder as did Ally, but he pulled back forcefully.

"I'm fine, I just need a minute."

As he finished his sentence the chilling and echoing howl of the Beowolves returned, their predator now taken out they could resume their chase. Eden spewed more profanities as they ran across the narrow bridge. The beasts poured out from the forest in a black flood.

"Dawn can ya give us time?" Ally asked.

Dawn nodded and knelt at the edge of the bridge with a deep breath. The beasts saw their chance and began their frenzied sprint towards her. She sat and held her arms out in front of her, slowly adjusting the bracers on her arms. There was no movement from her except her slowed breathing and all it did was worry Eden more.

"Dawn, what are you-?!"

Ally held him back with a nod. "Just trust her."

The Beowolves closed in on Dawn and in a flash Dawn stood as loud whirring replaced her calmed breathing. Her arms starting glowing a dazzling gold as the bracers moved over her fists and up to her shoulders. In a split second the leaping Beowolves met a powerful punch that sent a few Beowolves bouncing down back into the woods. Her strikes were sure and well placed as she did, and every one of them taking out multiple enemies. They watched in wonder as she used her power effectively.

"How are we doing?" Jayden asked. Eden steadied himself as he watched his aura regenerate slowly but surely.

"I can run now, but we still need to get up the cliff."

They turned back to the sheer cliff wall.

"I'll worry about that, you get over there. Ally you get Dawn and we'll make our move."

"Ya got it boss!" Ally moved to run back along the bridge but everything stopped as they heard…something.

It was a low, dark, rumble that echoed harshly against the dark forest. Out of the clearing stepped out a Beowolf that far out-sized even the biggest Ursa they'd ever seen. It howled again and it sent the other smaller ones scattering.

"Screw it! Get to the cliff now!" Jayden shouted. Dawn started running across the bridge and just barely made it when the Beowolf slashed at her. The other three were at the cliff wall when Dawn turned back and slammed her fists onto the bridge sending brick and stone flying away and letting the bridge crumble away. It didn't fall all the way but it was struggling to climb back onto the bridge.

"Now's our chance, c'mon!" Eden yelled out. They all were there now and waiting on Jayden. "So what's our plan now?" Jayden threw down a few glyphs leading up the cliff wall.

"Start climbing!" Dawn took Eden and leapt up to the first glyph, as the others did. They got up three glyphs before the Beowulf was free and chased after them again. Jayden took out the first two glyphs they'd climbed but the beast could still jump out at them. He told the others to keep going as he acted as a red cape. The Beowulf leapt at Jayden only to smash face first into a new glyph. The resounding tremor nearly caused the others to fall but Jayden kept the glyphs steady. As the beast fell Jayden re-arranged the glyphs and used them to throw the Beowolf straight past the bridge and into the mist below. They were calmer in their final approach of the cliff top and finally reached the top. They panted in relief and were set to move until Eden looked back towards the cliff and ran back suddenly looking down.

"Oh shit," he muttered. The others went to look down and saw the Beowolf frantically clawing his way up the cliff after them.

"Fine," Jayden said in a frustrated groan. He pulled out his cane and aimed straight down. The Beowolf looked up and roared just as Jayden unloaded fifteen rounds into its open mouth. It let out a pathetic whine and fell back with no fanfare. He turned away and walked off using his cane to its fullest ability.

"So," Ally said happily as they strolled away. "That was a thing."


	2. Prowess

_So this chapter has a lot of world already built as well as more world building, so if you have questions don't be afraid to ask me, shoot me a line. But it may also be answered in either later chapters of this story or Wolf's Shadow. Thanks for reading and enjoy!_

XXX

"Lola Winchester, Vivienne Adel, Ripley Dutch, and Renee Whiti: as the four students who gathered the four golden rook relics, you will be known as Team LVDR, led by Lola Winchester." The young woman bounced up and down happily as did her new teammates, her rabbit ears flying around wildly with the biggest grin on her face. They continued to celebrate a few moments before taking their seats. Jaune looked at the others approaching. "Jayden Schnee, Alabaster James, Dawn James, and Eden Belladonna: as the four students who gathered the four golden knight relics, you will be known as Team JADE, led by Jayden Schnee."

Jayden sighed and nodded as the others congratulated him. Even Eden nodded in his direction in respect.

"With the addition of eight new teams to the student body, it is sure to be an exciting year, Ms. Nikos will guide you to your dorms to get settled and we'll see you tomorrow bright and early for class."

The students buzzed around the room excitedly for a moment and even JADE until Jayden saw a huge lumbering man with a large mace traverse the crowd. Jayden moved his team aside as he charged down at one of the teams. The young rabbit Faunus looked at the man with wide eyes and leapt into his arms giggling as he did.

"Papa did you hear?!" she asked.

"Yes I did!" he said happily. "You're mother's going to be so proud when we tell her, call her when you get settled!" he said.

"I will, don't tell her before I do!"

"I won't, but you better hurry, I'm just as excited!"

"No! I'll do it right now!" she said as she jerked her scroll out and punched the numbers.

"Well you'll have a hard time!" he picked her up and celebrated with her as they danced around. Jayden gave a sly smile to Lola as she laughed and nodded. The man finally put her down and hugged her one more time. "Have fun with your new team, and I'm here if you need anything."

"Papa, I'll be fine! You be careful too," she said.

"Will do, see ya Bunny!"

"Bye-Bye Papa!"

The man smiled and turned to leave but met Jayden's eyes. He smiled and held his hand out. "It's been a few years hasn't it?" he asked.

"Not since we were last in Vale, sir."

"I thought so, well congratulations on being team leader."

"Thank you, I'll do my best."

"Well with your mother I'd expect nothing less! Have fun Mr. Schnee, tell your mother I said hi."

"Will do, Mr. Winchester."

The pair parted and the room quickly descended back into the excited chaos. Jayden was trying to accept what Jaune had given him, he stood with his cane against his leg, staring at his new team interact with the others. He saw Mr. Winchester with Headmaster Arc and they talked for a moment.

"I hope you didn't do that with Lola just because of me, Jaune-y boy."

"If that was the case I wouldn't have done it, but she's more than proven herself."

"Yeah, that's her mother for you."

"I seem to recall Team CRDL being a great team."

"Yeah maybe after Vel and I got together, she's the good influence. I'm just the muscle."

"Well I'd better go check on my other students, it'll be another exciting year Cardin."

"Same here, sir." Mr. Winchester walked off giving his daughter another thumbs up as he went. Soon it was just Jayden and Headmaster Arc.

"I didn't make a mistake, Mr. Schnee."

"I didn't think you did, I'm having trouble swallowing the truth."

"I believe in you."

"Thank you, sir."

XXX

Jayden looked at the barren room before him and realized something. For the first time in a very long time since the incident, he had a home. A small home he would share with three others, but at this point it was still a home.

"Dibs on the one by the wall!" Ally shouted as she bounced on her new bed.

"It's rather small, but at least we have two bathrooms," Eden said.

"I see another problem, two girls and two men, this will be tricky," Jayden said.

"Perhaps not, our mothers made bunk beds; we could make some if we tried."

"We could try," Eden said with a sigh.

"Let's try it with our beds first and see what we can do," Jayden suggested. Eden nodded and they lifted the bed on top of the other. They estimated the correct height and set it back down. "We could try placing blocks on the frame to close the gap."

"I'll see what I can find; if you two have any other ideas then don't hesitate to offer." Eden left after that and Jayden looked around the room a little more.

"I suppose it's rather small compared to what you're used to," Dawn said with a smile.

Jayden's chuckle sounded a bit darker than he intended by her face changing into worry. "I'll adapt."

"Y'all mind keepin' it down? Imma get some shut-eye," Ally said.

"Seems we're disturbing your sister."

"She's disturbed as is," Dawn said quietly. The pillow thrown at her head told her it wasn't as quiet as she thought it was. Dawn grew a mischievous smirk and threw the pillow back. What ensued was what Jayden could only assume was a familiar game between the two. In the chaos Dawn's hair had fallen and it only seemed to make the two more indistinguishable. Eden returned as Dawn had gotten Ally into a head lock, only to later release her after a chorus of disgusted noises.

"Ha that's what ya get!"

"You licked me!"

"Ya put me in a headlock!"

"You ripped my hair tie out!"

"Ya tackled me!"

"You threw a pillow at my head!"

"Ya called me disturbed!"

"And I'm still correct!" The two's argument devolved into laughter and they sat across from each other near tears.

"Well I found some spare wood from the renovations, now we just have to attach them."

"I think I saw some tape in the janitor's closet," Jayden said quietly.

"No need!" Ally said happily digging through one of her bags. "I got screws and a drill; we'll be done in no time!"

Jayden was a bit skeptical, but Ally and Eden hopped to it and they proved Ally right.

"I think our mamas would'a been jealous! Ours are prettier!" she said happily.

"True, they're far more stable at any rate," Eden commented, laying in his on the left side of the room, he took the top bunk because of Jayden's leg and soon they all sat around there newly furnished room.

"So Jayden, ya tell yer mama 'bout us yet?"

"Haven't had much of a chance, she'll still be at work until later tonight, but I will tell her. What about you?"

"Are ya kiddin' soon as my scroll charges y'all ain't gonna hear from me all night!"

"I'll be talking with our mother as well, if I get a chance. What about you Eden?"

"I'm not sure that I'll be able to just yet, but I'll talk to her eventually."

"Might I ask Dawn about your weapons? I've never seen anything like that before."

Dawn nodded and slipped the bracers off to hand to Jayden. "My mother and I made them together. I learned how to fight from her and from Aunt Fang, so we made weapons that could withstand my natural power. I can also use them to coat all of my arms if need be, it gives me more freedom with my strength and a few other options. I try not to use it though, it's easy to over exert myself."

"Impressive," he told her, handing her the bracers back. "What did you name them?"

"My mother and I named them Ri Chu, and you?"

Jayden pulled out the blade of his cane. "I named it Geist." He sheathed the blade and held it in front of him. "What about you Ally?"

"Mine's named Dullahan! Auntie Stele and I named it! What's yers Eden?"

"Kirisute Gomen."

"A unique assortment, no doubt. You all put a tremendous effort out there today, and I'm thankful for it."

"Ain't but a thing!" Ally said happily.

"I will do my best as your leader, I ask that you be patient with me, this is just as new to me as it is to you."

"We understand, we're ready to support you," Dawn said with a nod. Eden said nothing but also nodded with her.

"Thank you. Well we'd better get rested up; we've class in the morning. Eden may I talk to you?"

Eden said nothing but left the room with Jayden. The two stood in relative silence for a few moments.

"I suppose you're unhappy with the outcome of today."

"I'll deal with it on my own," he said sharply.

"That's no longer an option. We're in this together Eden."

"I understand that, but these issues are between us."

"If you keep trying to bring up these _issues_ then you'll drag them into it whether you like it or not," Jayden warned. Eden said nothing and moved to leave but Jayden caught him. "I understand what you went through wasn't any easier that what we went through. But I won't let your self-induced pity party put our team in danger. Get over it or bring it to light and let us help you, either way you need to do it soon."

Eden's face contorted in anger and he wanted to snap. Everything within him wanted to snap, but he kept himself in control he couldn't risk everything on one argument. He jerked his arm away and nodded entering the room again, Jayden wanted to go back in with him but an alert on his scroll said that his mother was home. He quickly punched in the number and let the scroll ring for a few tense seconds.

" _Hello, Jayden. How was your initiation?_ " she asked.

"It went fairly well."

" _I see, what sort of team are you on?_ "

"I'm on a team with the Ally, Eden and-."

" _D-did you say Eden?_ " she asked.

"Yes, he somehow convinced his mother to let him come apparently."

" _That's quite incredible, who is leading your team? Eden?_ "

"No I am." The pause that built up was terrifying, but the soft sniffles on her side relieved a few of his tensions.

" _Congratulations!_ " she said happily. She was crying louder now.

"Are you okay?"

" _I'm so proud of you Jayden, your mother would be proud too._ " She didn't say that often so Jayden took the compliment with glee. " _Although I don't know how she would have taken you being paired with Alabaster James._ "

"Yes, Ally and her sister."

" _Wait, Dawn is there as well?_ "

"Yeah, they're both here. If they weren't twins I never would have guess they were related at all."

" _Well it sounds like you have quite the rabble on your hands._ "

"That's a good word to use."

" _Thank you for the update, I'll visit when I can. Tell me the moment Headmaster Arc schedules the parent day; I'll want to clear off as much time as I can._ "

"I will, love you mom."

" _I love you Jayden, and I'm proud of you. Stay safe._ "

"I should be telling you that. Good night."

" _Good night._ "

The dial tone buzzed and Jayden sat outside of his dorm listening in deep thought. She brought up his mother. That was incredible to him, and more the fact that she said his mother would be proud of him. He couldn't help but beam with satisfaction.

"How did it go?" Dawn asked. He looked up and she was peeking out of the room, her hair was down now and flowed past her back just like her sisters.

"Very well," he said simply. Dawn joined him in his spot on the floor as the sun disappeared from view from the window in the hall. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?"

"Ally is in the shower right now, so is Eden. I have a few moments."

"I see."

"So what happened to your leg?" she asked.

"An incident, you don't need to worry about it," he assured her.

"You're my leader, and if it is going to affect us then-."

"But it won't. When I wear my brace I can act as if it was as good as new."

Dawn scrunched her face in concern but she conceded the argument. "If you're certain, then I'll let it go."

"Thank you, now may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why are you so focused on control when you're sister couldn't care less it seems?"

Dawn's breath faltered and her fists tightened without her notice. "I-it is a private matter, one I'm c-capable of handling on my own."

"If you're certain, then I'll let it go but you need to believe it first."

"I have it under control, nothing's happened in years! I'm safe now I-."

Jayden stepped in front of her and held her shoulders. "Look at me okay?" Dawn didn't move but tried to control her ragged breathing. "Look at me, Dawn." She finally peered up at him, threatening to go to tears. He held his hand out in front of her. "Take a deep breath in," he said and she followed. He stuck his finger in the air as she took a full breath. "Blow the candle out." As she exhaled he slowly moved his finger down. She couldn't help but laugh as he did. "Better now?"

She nodded quickly and dried her eyes. "I'm sorry I-."

"Don't concern yourself, we're all nervous." He sat against the wall again as did she. The door across the hall opened up a moment after to show Lola in her pajamas.

"You two okay?" she asked, chewing on what seemed to be a left-over sandwich.

"Getting better, I suppose we're all still a little nervous."

"I know right?!" she asked excitedly, bits of her mother's distinct accent poking through her speech. "I'm still on nerves! I've been bouncing 'round the walls all day, well more than I usually do!"

"I can imagine," Jayden said in a sigh. Ally had come to summon Dawn that she could shower.

"So you excited to be leader?" she asked.

"I suppose, I feel the trepidation though."

"Why's that?"

"I'm the youngest of my team, Eden's older by a year, and Ally and Dawn are older by two. As if that wasn't enough, there's legacy to worry about."

"Guess you're right, but I can't help but be excited!"

"And really all I can see before me is the challenge. And it does nothing but worry me."

"Well, when my mum used to work with your mum she always said the same thing. Sometimes she could see the challenge in her job and that it was huge. But she said that the reward from the challenge was always bigger and it deserved more attention."

"Your mother seems wise, it's a shame I haven't gotten to meet her yet."

"Well ya might be able to; she said she might come help my papa with some of his classes this year."

"I'd look forward to that."

"Welp, better head in for the night, good night Jayden, get some sleep," she said as she opened her door.

"I'll certainly try."

XXX

Jayden was woken up quite violently by the resounding crash in his room. Fearing one of the beds had collapsed on his teammates he shot out of bed cane at the ready. He was greeted by Ally laying face first in the floor, snoring just as loud as she had before. He looked at Eden who shared his look of confusion and worry. Dawn finally shook her head and looked at the boys.

"This happens from time to time, just ignore her," she said. "That's what I'm going to do."

"What happened?" Eden asked.

"She rolled off her bed," she said sleepily. "Just go back to sleep boys, she'll wake up eventually and go back to bed."

"Wasn't she on top bunk?"

"Yes, good night."

Jayden sighed and crawled back into bed, slowly nursing his leg as he did so. He looked at his scroll and the early hour made him chuckle. He tried to fall back asleep but his leg was bothering him again, he couldn't take pain pills for it but he couldn't sleep with it. He concentrated and poured a bit more of his aura into his leg and the throbbing did stop.

He sighed in relief and fell back asleep. He had his alarm set for an hour before breakfast, it gave him adequate time to shower and dress himself before eating, he turned his scroll off to see Dawn and Eden already up and ready. They nodded at each other and kept their routines going. Dawn took the chances of waking Ally up and was slightly successful. Eden was already in his uniform though he was extremely uncomfortable in it.

"You can let it out if you need to, I'm sure they already know," Jayden reminded him.

"I'll get through it."

"You don't need to suffer, you can let it go."

Eden sighed and weighed the offer, it was tempting. "I trust you, I don't trust them."

"They don't matter, if you wish to suffer then I won't stop you, but remember what I said last night." Eden was in thought even as Jayden left for the bathroom. Jayden put his brace on and finished with the uniform. It was nice, comfortable and it fit the style he wanted. He wore his hat on top to make it his own. He realized the others did much the same thing. Eden wore his necklace, and the twins wore Ember and Silica. "Shall we?"

"Let's do it! I'm starvin'!" Ally said as she dashed out. Dawn tried to slow her sister down as they traversed the halls towards the dining hall. Eden and Jayden once again didn't say anything to each other even as they actually began eating. They could agree on one thing.

The food was quite good.

XXX

"This class is not meant to teach history but you'll learn some as you go," Professor Winchester started. "This class isn't meant to refine your combat, but you'll pick up some tricks. As Huntsmen and Huntress' of Remnant we have an enemy. An enemy that over time has only proven craftier and far more devious than in previous generations, an enemy that has only one goal to achieve, and it's to kill. And this class is meant to teach you about them, the Grimm."

Pens and pencils flurried around as notes were being taken.

"This class is as much practical learning as it is pen and paper learning, keep that in mind. I'm going to start with a simple question, and I want you all to answer it in your head. Why are the Creatures of Grimm dangerous?"

It was an easy question and a hard one at the same time.

"I'm not expecting the easy answers, here's the best one I've learned. For a long time we thought the Grimm to be mindless killers, and while that's true it's not the whole story. The Grimm are like any creature on this planet, they can learn just like we can. The best techniques are handed down by the survivors, and the Grimm are no different. Now who can tell me some of the more common species we see?" He pointed to a few hands as odd names came up.

"Beowolves," one girl said.

"True, they're probably the most common out of any that we see. I'm sure some of you saw some during initiation."

Jayden and the others could only laugh to themselves.

"Now at the risk of being like my teacher, I'm going to tell a story about these things. My third year at Beacon we were on a mission to hunt down a rogue pack of Beowolves, they'd gone to close to the city walls and were sniffing around. My team and I found the pack and attacked, it seemed simple. However when we approached them we realized they were nothing but a decoy pack. They fled from confrontation and led us to the real threat. Not just one pack but four, and the four were ready for us. Grimm are deadly and not just because of their strength. I won't be giving homework on the first day, but I will suggest you go over your textbook, the more you can learn the better. We lose a couple good hunters every year to these things, and if a few hours of reading can save a life then I encourage it, even if I would have turned my nose up at the idea when I was in school."

The class shared a laugh as the professor grabbed his book.

"Now let's begin with the very basics, species of Grimm. As of last year we've documented 16 species of Grimm, some numbers have shrunk and become less likely to encounter but they're still out there. The most common ranging from Beowolves to Ursas, with some of the more rare species being Griffons and Wyverns, though a documented Wyvern sighting hasn't happened in over 45 years."

The bell rang as the students packed up.

"And tomorrow we'll start with Beowolves, remember what I suggested. After lunch you'll be going to combat training. Ask an upperclassman if you need help finding where you're going."

Jayden and the rest of his team packed up and headed to lunch. Now that the upperclassmen had also been released from class the dining hall was packed full. The conversations were rippling through the room as other tried to eat and others enjoyed the social benefits.

"Kinda weird ain't it Dawn?" Ally finally asked.

"What is?"

"I mean, I heard all the stories 'bout Professor Winchester when he was in school, hard ta believe he's here now."

"A lot of things can change in a long time," Dawn reminded.

"Yeah, guess so, but it's still kinda-." Ally's eyes went wide and she practically leapt up from her seat and dove to tackle another man. The others looked strangely as the other team did.

"Ally!" Dawn shouted trying to peel her off the other man, but the other man was laughing just as hard and soon even Dawn joined in. Jayden and Eden finally did start to investigate just as they finally separated from someone Jayden did recognize.

"I can't believe you two are here! This is amazing!" he said happily.

"Glad we got ta see ya, Julius!"

"Julius? As in Julius Nikos the second year?" Eden asked.

"Yep, glad I got to see my cousins so early on in the year!" The group sat back down and began to converse. "So this is your team, Ally?"

"Yep, Jayden's our team leader, got be partnered up with Dawn, and that's Eden Belladonna, so I'm surrounded by family!"

"That's good; you've got a safety net already. Have you met my team?" he asked.

"Ain't yet, but happy ta!" she said.

"Well this is Peter Terra; he's a martial artist like you Dawn."

"Pleasure to meet you all," he said softly. He seemed very calm like Dawn, even down to similar attire.

"That's Thena Arits; pretty sure you two would know her."

"Like I could forget about Uncle Wyatt and his girls," Thena said happily.

"Tell Uncle Orion I said hi!" Dawn said quickly.

"And that's Raiju; she's our resident lightning rod." The woman waved with a big smile as she enjoyed her tea.

"Good to meet you!" she said.

"Team JPTR, that can't have been a coincidence," Dawn said with a smirk.

"Well dad says it was, but I'm not so sure. I talked to him about it but he says he didn't plan it."

"Still, it's good ta see ya again, JJ!"

Julius laughed as she said it. "JJ, I like that, you can keep that one!" he said happily.

"Yes!" she said happily.

"So where are you guys headed off to?"

"Combat training, after that we'll have a study period before dinner, and then we'll probably be studying," Jayden said.

"Sounds good, maybe sometime this weekend we could do something?"

"Heck yeah we can!" Ally said. "Imma finish up this week's homework tonight!"

"Well we'd better head out, we've got History next. See you guys later."

"We have a unique crowd we've attracted don't we?" Jayden asked.

"That we do!" Ally said.

XXX

The first years all sat excitedly in the arena staring at the doors expectedly, waiting for their opportunity to show off why they were there. Any minute now Professor Nikos was going to walk through those doors and they'd begin. No sooner had she opened the doors than the screens flashed on, showing the pictures of every student in the class.

"This class will be where you can test your skills. I have no doubt of your skills, you are here and you survived initiation, now I want to see what you can really do."

The class was chomping at the bit, ready for this.

"Before we do, I want to go over some rules. Rule number one: this is nothing more than sparring, take that into consideration. Each battle you will connect to each others scrolls. When the low aura buzzer goes off," she pointed and a harsh klaxon went off for only a second. "That signifies the end of the match. You will immediately cease all combat when this goes off. Are we all clear?"

Nods and agreements rippled through the students.

"Rule number two: Only supervised sparring is to occur on school grounds, especially in here. You'll be given adequate time to practice, this is for your safety. Is this understood?"

Again the agreements rippled through the excited crowd.

"Then let our first match begin," Professor Nikos said. The screens flashed for a moment and Jayden's picture popped up first, followed by Lola's. "Jayden Schnee of Team JADE and Lola Winchester of Team LVDR, please step down to the arena."

Lola could barely contain her excitement as she bounded down to the arena, Jayden was a bit slower but he was excited too. Lola's combat attire was much different from the school outfit he'd seen her in before. A thick leather cuirass covered everything but her elbows and forearms. A pair of small blades rested on the small of her back and her battle skirt was made of the same thick leather. On her chest rested a bold emblem of a stitched together heart with a set of bright red wings surrounding it.

"Ready Jayden?" she asked.

"I believe I am," he said. He slipped his hat on and held his cane out in front him as if he was waiting for a bus.

"Begin!"

Lola hopped into the fray with one of her swords as Jayden stayed back and blocked all of her strikes. She leapt back and drew her second on in another rush, but Jayden drew his sword and blocked what he could. She was insanely fast, but despite that he was able to fall into her pattern. She leapt back and their aura's had fallen but not by much. Lola scanned over Jayden and tightened her gaze on him in another rush. He went to block her overhead strike but missed as she swung her legs around, slamming her shins into Jayden's bad leg.

The loud thud that resounded worried both teams, as Lola jumped back holding onto her shins for a moment before her aura took over. Jayden had gone down on one knee and stayed there for too long. Dawn started to grow worried until Jayden did finally get up. He leaned on his good leg and was forced to use his cane for its intended purpose as she continued her assault. He knew with her speed she'd take him out in a matter of moments. He repositioned himself and started concentrating, pulling on his power as she jumped at him again. He finally shot out a glyph that stopped Lola and threw her back.

Lola smirked a bit at the glyph, she was fairly confident she could get around his traps. She began a serpentine run toward him but as she spun around she was greeted by another glyph, or so she thought. He began moving the glyph around with his fingers keeping her outside the range of her blades. He was stationary for the most part, but he could keep her away until his aura caught back up with his leg. She wasn't going to let him recuperate that easily. She tapped into her semblance and became even more a blur. Jayden couldn't track her until she threw him from his corner of the arena before his glyphs could reset. The buzzer finally sounded as Jayden couldn't get his aura strong enough to resist the pain in his leg.

"That's the end!" Professor Nikos called out. Jayden got up slowly but surely and walked over to Lola with his hand out.

"Beyond impressive, I look forward to training with you in the future," he said amidst his pants.

"Thanks, that was fun!" Lola shook his hand and the two went back to their seats.

Pyrrha caught him as he did. "Do you need a moment?"

"I'll just step outside," he assured her.

"As you wish, our next fight will continue in a moment."

Jayden stepped outside and leaned against the wall, in vain hope of easing the throbbing in his leg. He rolled his pants leg up and started trying to fiddle with the brace but to no avail. He checked his scroll and concluded he would need to wait until his aura regenerated. He rolled his pants leg back down and entered the room just as two more first years were introduced.

"Next is Baylor Matador of Team STRM (storm) and Andrew of Team GINT (giant)." He was unfamiliar with the teams or the names thrown around but the fight was interesting.

One of the two men had clawed gauntlets but he could throw them like boomerangs when he needed. The other man had no weapon it seemed other than his own massive body. He was a competent fighter and maneuvered quickly, but the range was his enemy. At least until he slammed the ground with his fists and literally shook the ground at a specific spot that threw the smaller man into the bigger mans grasp. Though the smaller man got out of the attack it didn't come without cost. Both of their auras were low, any misstep could cost either of them the match. They danced in and out of each others grasp until the smaller man lunged low at the bigger mans calves. The bigger man in turn slammed his foot and rocked the ground beneath his feet jostling the small man just enough for the big guy to get a hold of him. He threw him across the stage after that and he landed with the buzzer. The two congratulated each other and left the stage. Everyone held their breath as the next two fighters were announced.

"Dawn James of Team JADE and Seth Ra-Isis of Team IRIS."

Ally cheered loudly as Dawn descended the steps, as a few others cheered for Seth. Seth had no armor on his chest but a harness with spiked pauldrons and spiked gauntlets. He held an oversized khopesh; the crescent of the blade could fit even his massive shoulders inside. Dawn took her stance as did Seth; neither of them said anything for a few moments. Dawn steadied her breathing as Seth lunged at her; she blocked the majority of his strikes letting others fall away. He was fast with the weapon and he was clever with it as well. She blocked one strike but he caught her gauntlet with the hook of his blade and threw her to his side, to take out her legs in a spinning strike. But Dawn got out the way entirely and struck him in the back. Seth rolled away and reset his sword ready for the next strike but Dawn held her ground across the ring.

"Enough skirting around!" he said angrily, his thick accent corrupting his words. "Fight me!"

Dawn just reset her stance and waited for him. He growled again and lunged this time not bothering with his tactics. If she was going to bait him, he'd be what she wanted. He slammed his sword repeatedly down on her gauntlets. She held herself steady but her aura was depleting from the savage ferocity of his strikes. She finally punched his sword away and dashed to the other side of the arena, in the fray he grabbed at her but only tore out her hair tie. They stood apart again, the long hair worried Ally a bit and Jayden could see it.

"Fight me!" he shouted again. "I thought you were a warrior, not a coward!"

Ally held her breath as Dawn continued to pant. She finally reached into one of her pouches and pulled out a new hair tie. She put her hair up after a moment and retook her stance.

"Then I'll have to start taking this seriously," she said quietly.

Seth growled and lunged at her once again, a flash of gold and the loud whirring and she caught his blade with one hand. With the other she grabbed his harness and pushed him back, she threw the blade aside and Jayden watched as her left arm started changing shape again. Seth dove for his blade as Dawn maneuvered around and aimed her newly formed cannon at his chest. The barrel was aimed straight at Seth's chest. A ball of energy flew from her arm and hit Seth even as he tried to block it, it sent him flying back and set the buzzer off just after ward. Dawn took a deep breath and let the bracers fall back into just bracers. She walked over and held out her hand to Seth but he refused and got up of his own will. He stared at Dawn for a moment before nodding and leaving. Dawn sighed and walked back to her seat where Ally gushed over the battle. Jayden gave his congratulations as did Eden but Dawn could only look over at Seth who stared ahead.

The rest of the battles went smoothly and class ended, but Dawn left to talk to Seth. He walked out with the rest of his team but turned when he saw her approach. Dawn put her hand out and he paused momentarily.

"You have strength you've never tapped into, I want to fight that," he said simply.

Dawn held herself away as he approached. He didn't have malice in his eyes but he was still intimidating. "That strength isn't mine to use, Seth. My strength comes from my control."

"You hide it away because you're afraid of it. Nothing comes of hiding from power."

"Power is easy to abuse," she said quietly.

"Then master it, when you do, I will fight you again, not before." He turned again to leave and Dawn couldn't stop him. One of his teammates gave her a nasty glare before she left, and she could hear ill words being thrown her way, especially from the leader of the team. She rejoined her team and was welcomed back. She smiled and began their walk to the library.

XXX

Jayden, Eden and Dawn sat in the library reading over their textbooks they'd gotten from Professor Winchester. Ally was reading a comic book.

"We should be studying Ally," Dawn reminded.

"I already read it once this mornin', I'll read again tomorrow mornin'," she said simply.

"That doesn't constitute studying," Eden reminded.

"Well everyone learns differently right? That's how I learn; ain't never failed me before."

"True, she's always had good grades."

"We'll see, we don't want to fall behind," Jayden said as she closed the book.

"I won't, I promise."

"See to it," he said again. He leaned back and started to regret it. He checked his watch and did some estimating. "I'm going to go to the room, if I'm not down by dinner don't worry about me, there are some things I need to take care of."

"Ah, don't ya worry 'bout it! We'll bring ya somethin' up!" Ally said.

"I appreciate it, enjoy your meal."

Jayden walked away until he was out of eyesight of his team and began to limp heavily. He finally reached his room and collapsed on his bed, biting his tongue to avoid screaming. He nearly tore his jeans up to rip the bracer off, letting the throbbing flesh free and letting the cool air flow over the leg. He changed into a pair of shorts and tried to adjust the brace, tweaking with it as best as he could. But it did nothing. He sighed in defeat as he grabbed his scroll and dialed the number.

" _Jayden? Is everything alright?_ " his mother asked.

"Mom, I need the other brace for my leg."

There was a low sigh on the other end. " _What happened?_ "

"I thought I could survive, I thought it would be alright but I was wrong. I need the other brace."

" _Well you should be lucky I packed in your bag before you left._ "

"Y-you what?" he asked.

" _I packed the brace in your black bag it's in the front left pocket. I know you said you didn't want it, but I knew it was better-._ "

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Is it still set?"

" _It should still fit, it was made for you._ "

"I know. _He_ made it for me."

" _I know, it's hard Jayden, but you should still be respectful._ "

"Tell him that."

" _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up._ "

"Anyway, thank you. Sorry to interrupt your evening."

" _You'll never interrupt me Jayden, please I hope you rest._ "

"So do I, thank you again."

" _Okay, good-bye Jayden._ "

"Good-bye, mom," he said. He dug through his black suitcase and sure enough, it sat in there. "That explains why it was so heavy."

It attached just like usual, the whirring gears adjusting the springs and tension. The machinery stung from the cold but it dulled the throbbing pain after it finally sat on his leg. It completed his leg, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, it really did help him walk; he didn't need his cane for its intended purpose anymore. He sighed when it finally adjusted to his leg and silenced the dreaded beeping noises. Once it settled he changed into a pair of pants again and began walking back out. He was greeted by a young woman staring at him as he left.

"You're Dawn's leader are you not?" she asked him.

"And you're Seth's leader, if I'm correct."

She nodded and walked towards him, Jayden knew she was trying to intimidate him, but her unfortunate height made it difficult for her to scare him. She was barely over five feet, not that it was a bad thing, she was a well known rogue and her height made her difficult to track. Liko Illusdottor was supposed to be the best infiltrator in the school, and well equipped to lead her team. Her skill with her daggers was well known, her match today ended quite decisively in her favor, and she didn't even need to tap into her semblance. An illusion semblance that could leave copies of herself behind to fight for her while she positioned herself for a sneak attack, it made her extremely deadly. However she herself didn't use it often, trying instead to have the combat skills exceed the others without relying on other means of victory. It also helped that she was quite attractive; it made her more of a black widow, a title she appreciated.

"My name is Jayden; may I ask what this is about?"

"It's about Dawn, I don't know what game you're playing but keep her away from my team," she said firmly. Jayden looked at her in confusion.

"There is no game; the random match today was just a match."

"I don't buy it; Seth should have taken her out. She's had no combat school training, she just showed up here."

"To be fair, combat school isn't a requirement anymore; it is beneficial I will admit-."

"That little girl doesn't belong here," she growled.

"That young woman has every right to be here, just as much as you do."

"Explain to me then how you, the leader of your team and the son of one of the most respected women in Vale, lost to that animal, but _she_ could beat Seth?"

"If you're going to throw out insults seconds after a compliment, it only makes you look like a fool. The mistakes I made in my match were my own, and Dawn is already an accomplished fighter, the daughter of two extremely accomplished Hunters."

"Xiao Long was a joke; she got bossed around by her little sister."

"As did my mother, and Team RWBY is still, by quite a stretch mind you, the best Team to ever have graduated. Each one of them with accolades to speak for themselves, something you'd do well to remember, Liko."

"Keep your team away from mine," she growled again.

"It seems to me you have other motives for keeping Dawn away from Seth, so if you would like to tell me the truth, I'd appreciate it."

Liko stared at him, again trying to intimidate him but with no success. "Keep your team away from mine." With that she left, leaving Jayden alone in the hallway.

XXX

"Good job in the matches today guys!" Lola said happily.

"Yes, it was, I'm proud of everyone who fought today," Jayden agreed as they ate. Eden and Jayden both enjoyed the food a little more than the others.

"And Dawn kicked some tail!" Ally said as she crushed her sister in a death hug.

"Well it was a close battle," she said through gasps.

"Yeah until the end, when you threw him around like a ragdoll!" Viv said, twirling the toothpick she chewed on in her fingers and peering over her glasses.

Dawn cringed as she said it but said nothing.

"We all did well. I look forward to seeing Ally fight next."

"Why's that?" Renee asked.

"I've only seen bits and pieces, never anything more substantial," Jayden explained.

"Fair enough," she said.

"So Renee didja make yer own weapon, or ya usin' yer ma's?" Ally asked.

"My mother and I designed a weapon that was perfect for my semblance," Renee said. The boys looked at the large hammer sitting on her back with some caution. The end of it could be described as an anvil. "I share a Battle-Singer semblance with my birth mother."

"So what did Auntie Leah teach ya?"

"She taught me some of her war verses, for my hammer, but the small blades let me use the dancing my mother taught me."

"Right, that's Auntie Fang."

"All in all, I believe I am a balanced warrior. But I also know I have much to learn, I'd like to fight against Seth. He seems to be an opponent I could learn from."

"I'm not so sure I trust their leader though," Eden said suddenly. The others looked as he finished his drink. "She took offense at Seth being beaten, as if it was herself losing. That doesn't sit right with me."

"Perhaps she put more importance in Seth's battle than was necessary. Nerves and tensions are high right now, but I suspect that it will even out as the year progresses," Jayden said.

"Maybe."

They continued conversing even as Seth approached the table. He looked as he always did. Scary.

"I apologize; I realize I forgot about this." He held his hand out toward Dawn, who accepted the handshake.

"You fought well, Seth."

"I mean what I said, but you are a fine warrior." He departed, returning to his team, but Liko kept her glare on Dawn until he sat down again. Jayden sighed and continued his meal amidst more conversation.

"So what do you guys have planned for tonight?" Lola asked.

"Jayden suggested we study a bit tonight, going over the material that Professor Winchester gave us," Dawn answered.

"Not a bad plan, but I've got a better one!" she said happily.

"And that would be?"

"A Get-To-Know-You party, our dorms are right across from each other! We could have a blast!"

The others looked around at each other.

"And we've got snacks!" Ripley said.

"I'm game," Ally offered. "We're gonna have other times ta study, and it ain't like there's a test."

"Well, how about this? We'll do another hour or so of studying after dinner, and then we'll go to the party. Is that okay?" Dawn asked.

"That sounds reasonable," Jayden said. "Are you okay with that Eden?"

Eden nodded.

"Then we'll see you somewhere around seven or so," Dawn said happily.

"Right on! We'll see ya then!" Lola said happily. Her team quickly finished eating and ran off.

"You seemed eager to do that," Eden said quietly. "Planning something?"

"It's important to remember rest is just as important as work," he answered back. "Besides let the girls have some fun, what's the worst that could happen?"

XXX

 _That sentence never ends well! Thanks again for reading and I'll see you next time._


End file.
